As the sun rises on Saturday morning (7 May), a group of 199 athletes will conquer Cape Town’s iconic landmark to raise R1 million for various local charity groups.

Taking part in the annual Table Mountain Cableway Challenge, runners will summit the mountain as many times as they can during a 12-hour period. Once they’ve reached the top, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) will be on hand to get the runners back down again via the cableway so that they can tackle the 5.5km run back up to the top.

 

The event takes place from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 May 2022.

The Challenge was first organized in 2009 and has to date raised close to R9m for various charities and causes in the Mother City. The initiative is the brainchild of the Just Do It (JDI) Foundation and enjoys the support of the TMACC. 

“The Cableway Charity Challenge demonstrates how we can collectively bring meaningful change to communities in need. Since its inception, the challenge has continued to unite Capetonian fitness enthusiasts in the spirit of giving back. We’re thrilled to be back this year and we’re revved for another opportunity work with the JDI Foundation to bring value to our beneficiaries,” says Giselle Esau, Executive Manager of Brand and Marketing at TMACC.

 “JDI Foundation volunteers have been hard at work to make sure that the effort athletes put in translates into charitable programs that uplift children and communities. We thank our sponsors, especially the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company whom without their commitment the event would not be possible and wish all athletes well and most importantly hope that they have a fantastic time tackling the most iconic landmark of South Africa.” says Anton de Waal, Race Director at JDI Foundation Trust. 

Proceeds from the 2022 edition of the Challenge will be handed over to Nature Connect, Home from Home, and Ons Plek. 10% of the proceeds will go to Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR).

Last year’s event went virtual and raised R1 041 173 for charity with changes to the event format due to the pandemic. This change thankfully welcomed many new faces to the challenge by allowing participants to complete laps in their own time over a nine-day event window, making it more accessible to those who aren’t elite athletes and taking COVID-19 safety precautions into consideration. 

This year the challenge will follow the same format with 199 athletes summiting Table Mountain over a nine-day period, ending on May 15.

Entries are made up of private groups, individuals, and professional athletes. The Corporate Challenge takes place on 07 May and will have teams battling it out to see who can finish the highest number of accents of Platteklip Gorge between sunrise and sunset.

For more information or to sponsor an athlete, visit https://charitychallenge.co.za/